Green Leaves
by SofiaB
Summary: The King and Queen spend a free day with their small son, Legolas, in the woods.


**Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Tolkien. I wish I had Legolas all to myself and Elrohir and Elladan, and Thranduil… but I don't. That's why I'm writing about them.**

**Since you all enjoyed 'A Cake For Two' (I didn't think any of you guys would like it!) and I've been asked to write more stories like Cake, I decided, why not? Though in my opinion this is not a really good story and I've had it saved to my computer for about two or three months now. Anyway, hope you all enjoy!**

**Green Leaves**

The Queen and King of the Woodland Realm spent a rare, work-free afternoon in the forest one summer day. Their small golden haired son, Legolas, walked between them, each of his hands clasped between his parents. Birds sang and squirrels and other small animals scampered about the forest floor in front of them. The trees were healthy- strong and big. Long limbs stretched to the sky held dozens of green leaves which rustled softly with the wind.

The little boy tilted his head back to watch the canopy. "My sweet, do not tilt your head so far." Meril admonished.

"Where are we going nana?"

"It's a surprise," Thranduil replied.

"I 'ike surprises!" Legolas chirped excitedly. His epidement of saying the letter 'L' causing his speech to be childlike compared to his already wide vocabulary.

"You do?" Meril asked. Legolas shook his head up and down. The path they trotted on was not usually walked upon and in its neglect, it was overgrown with grass and bushes and had a fine layer of dried brown leaves that did not make so much as a sound as the elves passed lightly over them.

"Up!" Legolas whined after some time. Meril bent down slightly and gathered her son in her arms; balancing him on her hip as small arms encircled her neck.

Legolas watched his father, who walked slightly behind Meril. He yawned and asked. "What's that?" His finger pointed to Thranduil's belt.

Thranduil glanced down and noticed that his son was looking at his knives. Ah yes, young elflings were always fascinated with weapons. Thranduil thought for some time on how to keep his son away from the dangerous objects, and at the same time not upset him. It would be hard to do. Legolas was a clever elfling.

"It is… nothing you should be concerned about." Right away Thranduil noticed the quivering lips and hastily pointed straight ahead of them. "Here we are!"

They were coming to a clearing in the forest. The tree's parted to reveal not only a clearing but a flower meadow. The sun shone brightly on the spot, casting the colors vibrantly. Greens, whites, violets, blues, reds and yellows could be scene covering the entire clearing. Legolas, forgetting all about his father's knives, squirmed in his mother's arms until she let him down. He ran around the flower meadow, laughing and shrieking with joy. "Don't leave the clearing Legolas!" Meril warned.

Legolas nodded, showing that he had heard his mother's warning. He crouched behind a violet flower and giggled.

"You can't see me!" Meril, playing along with her son's game, feigned distress as she brought a hand to her chest and called "Legolas! My sweet; where have you gone?"

Legolas giggled and stood up. "Here I am!" He chirped happily.

"Oh! I am so glad you are here, my little Greenleaf, you have made me so worried!" She scooped him in her arms and twirled him around.

Thranduil sat under a tree and watched his family with a grin on his face. He wasn't worried about being found, or attacked. They were close enough to the palace to not be in any real danger. But this meadow wasn't known to all and he took joy in taking his family here.

Thranduil placed the picnic basket the cooks had packed for them that morning on the ground next to him. Amusing his son with his wife occupied his time for the next few hours before they took a break from their games. Thranduil spread a blanket on the ground while Meril went about taking items out of the basket and arranging them on the blanket. Legolas politely waited until everything was set out and his parents set food before him and themselves before eating.

There were honeyed meats, carrots, bread, chesse, wine, juice, goblets and sweetmeats. Legolas ate a portion of each of the foods, which gladdened his parent's hearts as Legolas was prone to eat too little when he was excited.

Legolas lay back, his head cushioned by the flowers. His bright eyes searched the skies and for a time watched the heavy clouds roll by. Meril and Thranduil sat with their legs curled underneath them sipping casually on their wine and falling in tune with the songs of nature.

"'ook!" A pudgy finger pointed towards the sky. "Bunny!" His parents looked upwards and noticed the 'bunny' shaped cloud.

"My, my, isn't it a big bunny?"

"Don't be afraid, nana, it won't hurt you."

Meril held a hand to her breast. "I am glad."

They watched the clouds for some time. Thranduil looked down at where his son lay. Legolas was asleep, his eyes half closed and glazed over; a hand up by his head with the fingers curled. "We should head back to the palace." He said to his wife.

Meril looked down towards Legolas then towards Thranduil. "He will be upset if we leave when he is asleep. Neither of us get away from the palace often, Thranduil, we do not need to leave here so soon." She watched her husband before continuing. "Thranduil… your advisors can handle things for one day. Spend time with your family."

Thranduil leaned over and gave his wife a kiss. "We will not depart yet, love." Meril smiled and kissed Thranduil again. Thranduil bent down and gently picked up his son while Meril gathered put the dishes back in the basket and collected the blanket. They walked towards the shade of the tree's where it was cooler and when Meril laid the blanket down again Thranduil laid the elfling down upon it.

Legolas awoke not a long time afterwards, cranky and yet delighted on still being in the enchanting glade. He then promptly ran around the clearing, shrieking and laughing while Thranduil chased after him, occasionally picking him up and tossing the shrieking child into the air before safely catching him. Meril sat under the shade of the tree with a few handfuls of long stemmed flowers by her side. Every so often she would glance up and smile upon seeing her husband and son before turning back to the flower chain she was idly making.

Some time afterwards she felt a warm breath on her side and a wet kiss planted on her cheek. "I 'ove you Nana!" Legolas said rather loudly in her ear. Meril reached up and returned the kiss. "And I love you as well, my sweet."

She held out her arms and Legolas gladly plopped down on his mother's lap. He watched with rapt fascination as his mother went about winding the stems of the flowers together to create a chain. "What are you making, Nana?" he asked curiously, turning innocent eyes towards her.

Meril smiled lovingly again before saying "I am making flower necklaces, Legolas. Here," She reached to the other side of her and picked up a necklace of white and yellow blooms, "I made this especially for you." She placed the necklace on him and Legolas grinned, shifting his gaze to the necklace and back at his mother's face repeatedly. Carefully he brushed a finger on the soft silky petals and his grin widened. "It's beautifu' Isn't it beautifu' Ada?"

Meril turned to see Thranduil on the other side of her. "It is. The most beautiful thing I have laid eyes on, besides your mother." Meril leaned forward, Thranduil meeting her halfway in a quick, passionate kiss.

"No!" Legolas giggled. "No kissing!" Meril laughed lightly, followed by Thranduil.

"Nana, doesn't Ada get one?" Legolas asked.

"Of course, my little Greenleaf, I made this one for your father as well." Meril finished twining a necklace with blue and yellow blooms and placed it over Thranduil's head.

"My, my, my! Tis lovely. But where is yours, my love?" Thranduil questioned. Reaching to the pile Meril already made, he shifted through it before selecting a violet, white and red piece.

Legolas sat with wide eyes, watching his father and mother. When Thranduil placed the flower necklace over Meril's head he grinned happily and clapped. "Yay! We all have neck'ace!"

"Yes we do." Meril said.

"Nana, I'm hungry." Meril shifted some objects around in the baskets before producing a small piece of bread than she took a slice of cheese and ripped a piece of the bread off before placing the cheese in the middle and putting the ripped bread back on to make a sandwich. She handed it to Legolas who accepted it and started eating right away.

Thranduil looked towards the sky and noticed silently that it was well past mid-day and they would have to leave soon. Meril followed his gaze and noticed as well. Legolas however finished his snack before turning around to see what else he could do.

"We have to leave now, my Greenleaf." Meril called after two hours of chasing Legolas around the clearing. Yes, young children had energy squeezed into every available crevice of their body. Legolas stopped his play and looked at his mother tearfully.

"But I don't wanna 'eave!" he wailed.

Meril quickly scooped her very young son into her arms, shifting him so he balanced easily on her hip. "We will come again another day, little one." Thranduil said, walking up to them with everything packed. Legolas nodded, sniffed and buried his head into his mother's shoulder. Meril rubbed his back while she walked side by side with Thranduil out of the clearing.

Legolas did not cry, but sniffed occasionally and clutched his mother tightly, watching the clearing shrink into nothing and the familiar darkness envelope them. He said nothing, content to just let his mother hold him. Meril continued to rub Legolas' back and occasional place a loving kiss on the small golden head.

Thranduil placed his hands around her waist and pulled him to her, and Meril shifted closer with a soft smile on her face. When they were almost near the stronghold Thranduil looked at his young son who had not made a sound for some time now. Meril looked at him and answered "He fell asleep some time ago." Thranduil grinned slightly before leaning closer to kiss Legolas' head and give his wife a kiss as well.

"Thranduil." She replied, grinning.

"Yes, love? Do you complain?"

Meril laughed softly, causing Legolas to shift slightly in her embrace. "No- not at all." Thranduil laughed as well. Meril shifted Legolas again and Thranduil reached over and gently took their son out of his wife's arms, no doubt thinking Meril's arms sore from holding their growing son for well over two hours continuously. Legolas did not stir awake with the new change of arms, but turned to arrange himself comfortably in the new pair of arms.

Thranduil's heart swelled with paternal love. At the moment his son was the perfect picture of innocence: lids half closed and eyes glazed over, arms automatically circling the neck, totally trust given. And Thranduil would have it no other way: sleeping under the green leaves.

**The End**

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